Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Interbody fusion is a surgical procedure to repair a degenerative intervertebral disc, spondylolisthesis, intervertebral disc herniation, kyphosis, and lordosis. Common methods of interbody fusion include an interbody fusion device, a synthetic bone graft material, an autograft, and an allograft, which allow for fusion between adjacent vertebrae, limiting motion and the pain derived from it.
An intervertebral fusion cage is a commonly used surgical interbody fusion device, which is generally used to fuse two or more vertebrae. The intervertebral fusion cage is typically made from titanium cylinders, which are placed in the disc space between vertebrae. The fusion cage is typically porous and allows the bone graft, the autograft, or the allograft to grow from the vertebral body through the cage and into the next vertebral body. The intervertebral fusion cage is typically placed in the anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) through a minilaparotomy, as an endoscopic approach is difficult. However, both the posterior and anterior surgical approach are difficult, as the spinal cord is obstructive in the posterior approach and multiple major organs and arteries are obtrusive in the anterior approach. The intervertebral fusion cage also obscures post-operative assessment, such as x-ray assessment, due to the metal in the disc space.
Additionally, possible complications from the surgery include injury to the spine or nerves, injury to the blood vessels causing bleeding, migration of the implant, infection, and blood clots.